Call To Power

Call To Power

By: Funmi Akinleye

Date: 06.01.2021

We were praying into our lives the prayer of Paul in Colossians 1 to the saints at Colosse, especially the verses 9-11 and the spirit of God stopped me at verse 11 as all of us on that prayer call fervently prayed the prayer “may we be strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy.” Colossians 1:11

“Strengthened with what power?“ the Holy Spirit asked. “From what power do you want to draw strength from?”

I was a little confused so I just listened.

“Many of you do not respond to the call to power,” He said.

Me: Lord, isn’t that what we’re asking for now?

Then He gave me the image of a lady at her office desk, typing into her computer just as the Spirit of God whispers to her spirit to get up and go into a closet to pray. She acknowledges the Voice and says in her spirit, “let me quickly finish typing this before my boss asks for it again, then I’ll go and pray.” In so doing, she missed her call to power.

For some, He says, ‘’I am asking you to kiss the head of your son and you will immediately be filled with power, but you pass it off because you’re looking for something grand.’’

He took me to the events of Matthew 3:13-17, 4:1-11.

Jesus went purposefully to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ‘’John tried to prevent Him’’ v14 but Jesus said to him, ‘’Permit it to be so for now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.’’ v15. After that obedience, “the Spirit of God descended like a dove and alighting upon Him.”

After Jesus was filled with the Spirit, the Spirit led Him into the Wilderness. This is the same thing that happens with us. Obedience to God and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, flowing from that obedience, usually heralds the wilderness season. In the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40nights and it was only after that, He got hungry. The spirit of God that led Him into the Wilderness ‘strengthened’ Him with ‘power’ to sustain the fast. If you have fasted for more than one day, you know it takes the strength that can only come from the power of God, through the Holy Spirit who called you to that fast, to sustain you. Now Jesus did that for 40days and 40nights.

‘But you receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you’ Acts 1:8.

The Bible records that ‘afterwards, He was hungry’ Matt 4:2. When I read that part, I thought,  ‘wow! Took you long enough Lord.’ I would have been hungry in 40mins and you’ll hear me pray periodically, ‘Holy Spirit, fill me up, give me strength. It opened my eyes to see that firstly, He didn’t go out into the wilderness determined to fast for 40days, be tempted, and come out of the wilderness. No, He was led there, and simply did as the Spirit enabled and required. Sometimes, just be led. Allow God to take His sweet time with you. Secondly, the Holy Spirit departed from Him (in a manner of speaking, because God is always with us) and that’s what exposed his earthly need, food.

You will not always feel the manifest presence of God, especially not in the wilderness. Many times you will get to a point where you feel alone so that you can DIY (Do It Yourself!) ‘’ for ye are gods’ Ps 82:6. Isn’t it at the time of trial or vulnerability that you cry out, ‘God, where are you?’ Never when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and operating in His might, but always when you can’t feel Him. But guess what? You’re never truly alone because the Holy Spirit has filled you with power! Now your can DIY, exert your dominion and come out of the wilderness victorious. It was that power received from the Holy Spirit that gave Jesus that ‘every kind of endurance and patience we were praying for in Colossians 1:11 when He was hungry (exposed) and tempted in the wilderness.

When will the prince learn to exert his authority in the kingdom of his father merely shows him the extent of his power and authority but helps him exert and proclaim same each time he needs to exercise it? Surely, the prince will become King one day, because it is his inheritance, but it will be a struggle to exert his authority as he has come to depend on his dad, the king. The throne is quite easily usurped from such princes too. If his father leaves for a little while or remains silent and allows the prince to exert his own authority and power as the heir to the throne, the prince learns to do it himself and exert his authority and power as the prince of that Kingdom while relying on his father’s correction, instruction and commendation when he returns.

The Holy Spirit had departed so Jesus was awake and exposed to the needs of the flesh and that was when He was tempted by the devil. This is what happens to us too. Note that the enemy first came with how He was feeling, hungry. ’…Command this stone become bread’ he said.  For some, that will be sexual desire, a natural need of the flesh and the enemy will flash an attractive person in your face or remind you that you can masturbate if you don’t want to go ‘that far.’ When you say no that, he will encourage you to endanger your own life  ‘are you not just coming out of 21days fast, you’re filled with power, take the night bus in an insecure territory, don’t worry God will send His angel to make you invisible. Or don’t you believe in the power of God anymore?’ Just the same way he asked Jesus to endanger His life by throwing himself down. How silly! At this stage, the devil is now fanning your pride and hyping you to destruction. Don’t fall for it.  “And he said [mockingly] to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You [to serve, care for, protect and watch over You]’ Matt 4:6 AMP

Finally, the devil said ‘all these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me’ Matt 4:9. The devil perhaps thought to himself, ‘you know what, this one you’re waiting for manifestation and doing all these travelling and ministry work, the end result is to conquer the Kingdoms right? For the Kingdom of this world to become the Kingdom of God right? I’ll give you the Kingdoms now now, all I want from you is worship me after I do that not even before you receive it. I’ll give everything to you now now now!’ What happens next is profound. Jesus said ‘Away with you, Satan’ v 10. ‘Then the devil left Him…’v11.

James tells us in James 4:7 ‘resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ Once Jesus resisted the devil, he fled. Some people have made covenants with the devil because the promise seems so far away and the road to prosperity seems far. For quick riches, they deal with the enemy and sell their souls. Don’t think this is far fetched, the enemy certainly does not come as the enemy. Sometimes you know not to go into business with a certain person, there’s no tangible reason but you know in your spirit that the Lord has not released you to go into business with them or take up a job with that company. You say to yourself (because surely, it can’t be God you’re telling) ‘it’s just for a while Lord, once I balance, I’ll come out of the business or company and I’ll do what You want me to do. I’ll find a way to be back into your will, it’s just for this season so I can sustain my family.’ You deceive yourself and you’re right where the devil intended for you, out of God’s will for your life. Before you know it, they keep increasing your pay and you don’t see the need to leave anymore.

Resist the devil, and he will surely flee from you.

The Holy Spirit said to me “what happens after the period of temptation?” Angels came and ministered to Him! That was the end of that wilderness trial. The Lord leads you in, the Lord leads you out. He says “do you notice that He didn’t request for the angelic assistance before it came? The natural response of coming out of your trial season victorious is that angels will minister to you without asking.” You will not feel alone anymore, help will come to you without even asking for it.

Therefore, be sensitive to know when you’re being called to power, sometimes it is the urge to pray. That lady that was shown to me, in the beginning, could have said to her boss’s need to go to the bathroom quickly’ Jesus answered John when he tried to prevent the baptism, ‘Permit it to be so for now.’ The power Jesus received from the Holy Spirit because he recognized the need and insisted on the obedience of being baptized with water by John, heralded the descending of the Spirit of God upon Him. That Spirit-filled Him with power and that power gave Him strength to endure the season of temptation in the wilderness.

Prayer

Father enable us to be sensitive to your call to power. Give us the wisdom and discernment to partake in the simple activities you call us to so that we may receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and receive power in other that we may fulfil our purpose at the right time and season, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

About Funmi Akinleye

Funmi is a Lawyer and Wellness professional marked with the passion to seek and reveal the heart of God. You can reach Funmi by her Email Funmi@wisdommedia.org.